Fall/Winter Bulbs in California

The Fall rains have caused many of my bulbs to sprout. We are so fortunate to be able to grow the tender bulbs and have them blooming as the days get shorter.

The season starts for me (Zone 8b-9) with the golden Sternbergia lutea in Sept/Oct. Then in mid Nov I have Narcissus tazetta 'Ariel' blooming--a nice big white flower that doesn't flop over and Narcissus 'Golden Rain' .--bright yellow, double, but they tend to grow so tall that they flop over--may be becuase mine are shaded by the eves? Around the garden I also have other N. tazettas---'Ziva'/'Galilee', 'Bethlehem', 'Texas Star', 'Grand Monarque' that have sprouted and 'Ziva' has buds. All these multiply and form nice clumps that come up year after year. Eventually they need to be dug up in the summer and divided. My first sprouts of N. italicus are up as well as N. 'Erlicheer'.

New this year is Crocus medius which is blooming now--see photo--a rare patch of purple at this time of year. It's a crocus from the Riviera region so should naturalize here. I am making a note in my garden journal to plant some C. medius around the feet of the N. 'Ariel' next year.

What bulbs are blooming in your garden? I am always looking for ideas.

Chris

That is a beautiful photo, Chris. You should add it to the plant files if you haven't already. It would make a great bloom of the day entry, too.

I don't have any bulbs growing - though I did plant some native iris this year and I have Bletilla striata in a pot. Have to wait until spring for my show!

Hi Chris, You are a neighbor you are so close. I don't have any bulbs blooming right now but I have a few iris blooming and some daylilies and my roses are still blooming! It's been a funny fall with the mild weather lasting so long. The farfugiums are blooming too with their daisy like flowers.

That photo is gorgeous!

Cris:
Beautiful photo.
My paperwhites are sending up green shoots. They are usually the first to bloom for me, normally in February. When the green stems get floppy after they have finished blooming, I braid them. It helps me remember where they are and looks kinda cool while keeping them tidy. Then I know where to find them when they die back for separating. My fresias have sent up green shoots too, but haven't even put on buds yet. You lucky gardener!
Walk In Beauty!
SingingWolf

Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments.

I only have one tiny group of old freesias and after seeing your message, Singing Wolf, I went out to check them and they have sprouted!! Mine won't bloom until much later--usually with the hyacinths in Feb-March.

Most of my bulbs are in areas of the garden that do not get summer water. It seems like the arrival of the first significant rain storm is what triggers them to sprout. I know with my Algerian iris, Iris unguicularis, that even though they retain some green foliage all summer, they don't bloom until after the first rain. Again, these aren't bulbs. They do bloom all winter and spring with their eye catching blue flowers. The books claim the flowers are fragrant, but to my nose the fragrance is faint. The blooms only last one day if picked, but the big clumps produce new blooms for months.

Here's another fall bulb that has already bloomed--Sternbergia lutea.
They like to be dry all summer. Mine bloomed late Sept this year. It's possible they might have been triggered into growth by the water they got when I planted the Crocus medius in front of them in early Sept--I watered in the new bulbs. Next year will be a better test.

Chris

Chris,
Your Algerian Iris sounds gorgeous. Maybe it's like the four O'Clocks, you don't smell them unless planted in masses, and it's the right time of day. My freesia's live in the greenhouse, they normally bloom this time of year for me. My paperwhites like my hyacinths, don't usually show green shoots til January or February, but they are already coming up, and we are way behind on rainfall for this time of year.
Not to say I didn't appreciate last weeks rain. Washed off all those dirty Christmas Trees in the field. Now they are green again, not brown. Did plant some Tulips, and can't wait to see them bloom come spring.
Your Sternbergia lutea is gorgeous. I love the sunny yellow color. They are short? 6 or 8 inches high? I keep seeing all these beauties other Californians grow, and it makes me more determined to add some to my garden!
Thanks for sharing your great pictures, Chris. It's much appreciated.
WIB,
SW

Some of my paperwhite narcissi::

Narcissus tazetta 'Ariel'

Flowers are larger than other single whites and are the first to bloom in my garden. The stems are shorter (about 12 in) and a bit stockier so that they don't fall over like so many other paperwhites do when the blooms open. The typcial varieties you force indoors under poor light conditions are particularly prone to flopping over. Some like 'Ziva' are 16-18 in tall and often fall over, even outdoors in my garden once all the blooms are fully open. 'Ariel' was bred to make flopping less likely although I haven't tried to grow them indoors to prove it.

Chris
p.s. I put my hand in the photo to show the size of the blooms, not to prop them up.

A paperwhite narcissus that isn't white:

Narcissus tazetta 'Golden Rain'

A double , bright yellow flower. In Brent and Becky's Bulbs catalog they describe it as a "double mutation from N. 'Grand Soleil d'Or' with similar fragrance and coloration;...". The flowers are smaller than some of the other tazettas. In my garden they are planted in a narrow bed along the house. This bed is shaded by the eves for most of the day which probably accounts for why these have grown a bit tall and floppy. This time I am propping the flowers up with my hand for the photo.

Chris

Whoa,
Chris you really like bulbs don't you! My good friend Pop Erickson got me started on bulbs. I love them, but am too late this year to plant, and behind on the separating the overgrown masses, but you've given me some great ideas. As I was needing a break today, I grabbed my camera and went on a mini photo safari. I snuck over to my brother's garden and got this photo. I think it's a Siberian iris, but I'm real lousy with names, so I might be right. I'm not even sure it's a bulb, but the ones in my garden aren't blooming. Go figure.
WIB!
SW

This message was edited Dec 2, 2008 8:59 PM

That's a bearded iris SW. A beautiful historical. It's a rhizome which is close to a bulb I think.

doss,
Thanks for clearing that up for me. My brother does like old stock plants.
WIB,
SW

I splurged a couple of months ago and bought a Giant White Squill bulb. It's sprouted, and the leaves are about 6" high now. I can't WAIT to see it bloom!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2227/

I love bulbs, too. When Orchard had their no-tax weekend last week, I bought a TON of nice daffodill bulbs dirt-cheap (no pun intended) Have to get them in the ground yet.

I have a few paperwhites blooming, but I'd give them away to anyone who likes the fragrance!! My daffs are starting to sprout, along with my freesias, but they won't bloom for two or three months.

Wow, imapigeon those Giant White Squills are amazing! The bulbs are HUGE! Share photos when it does bloom, I'd really like to see it. That plant is wild.
I love the Daffie's too. They were the only flower blooming when I finally got to bring my youngest son home from the hospital. ( He was a premie, he's grown up now!) : )
I plan on getting bulbs next fall to replant. I lost most of mine over the years to neglect. Some are no longer happy where I planted them, I'll have to move them.
My paperwhites haven't started to bloom yet, and I'd take yours if you weren't so far north of me! : )
Not to worry, I have plenty to split after they bloom in spring. I've been transplanting the "babies" to other areas in my yard.
Now if my freesias would only bloom. : (
Maybe they aren't supposed to yet. They are in the green house, so I'll have to wait and see.
So Chris, How are your bulbs doing this week? Got any more pictures?
WIB!
SW

imapigeon,

When they say "Giant" White Squill " they really mean it. 4-6ft!! WOW! Be sure to take some photos when it blooms next year and post them.

I know what you mean about the 'fragrance' of paper whites. My husband thinks they stink so I don't bring them into the house--I just enjoy them outdoors--they are so early and so carefree. The catalogs describe the fragrance as 'musky' and I am not sure what that means--I seem to remember a popular perfume back in the 60's or 70's that was called 'Musk' but it didn't smell anything like paperwhites. (Whoops--I guess I am giving away my age there, aren't I? LOL) The fragrance also varies among cultivars--some are very mild and others are quite potent.

It's not too late to plant your daffies. I just planted 200 tulips ('White Emperor' and 'Albert Hejin') this week. I have had good luck with the Tulip 'Red Emperor' aka 'Madame Lefeber'--it comes back year after year and has increased so I decided to try some others of the same type. I find that planting them in late Nov or early Dec is fine, since the day temps and the ground have usually cooled down and we have had some rain by then. I will post some photos next year on one of the threads about spring blooming bulbs.

So Chuck,
Ya got any tulips to share?
WIB,
SW

I think the paperwhites have an unpleasant 'chemical' smell to the.There are, however,other varieties that smell delicious.

Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'

Another fall /winter bloomer--supposed to bloom reliably for Christmas. This one bulb seems a bit early, but the other 4 sprouts (out of 10 that I planted) still only have leaves.

C laevigatus is very tiny--only about 2-3 in high-- and very beautifully colored--lilac purple feathering on the 3 outer petals and that gold throat. Definitely something to be grown in pots where you can bring it closer to eye level . When and if the other 4 sprouts bloom I will try to get a photo of the closed bloom. So far my attempts with this one have not succeeded and I would like to try with a fresh bud.

It is found in Greece and surrounding islands in open, stoney ground, so I am hopeful that it will multiply in our Mediteranean climate.


Chris

To me, the paperwhites I have smell like something the cats killed last week. I can't smell freesias at all, for some reason. The fragrance of most of my daffs I find delightful, but there are a few that just.....don't do it for me. I'll leave it at that...LOL! I think I'll mark the location of the paperwhites & other stinkies this year so I can pass them along to someone who will appreciate them :-}

Tulips in my yard don't make it at all. When we first moved in I planted a whole bunch and they bloomed beautifully the next spring, and never came back. I thought the gophers got them, but I've since read they just can't handle our summer heat. I have to buy early-blooming daffs, too, as the later-blooming ones will likely get 105 degrees for a few days in May, and they REALLY don't care for that. The daffs seem to help keep the gophers away, so I have tried to plant them pretty thickly all through my garden. I had a bunch of work done this summer and have several new raised beds, so I'm trying to heavily plant with daffs before the wretched rodents get the upper "paw"!

My crocus have a lot of leaves showing, but no blooms yet. Yours are SO pretty!!

This message was edited Dec 5, 2008 12:37 PM

Funny, I only grow the late tulips. I thought that they were better for our climate but I can see that when it gets over 100 degrees they would droop. They do have to be grown as annuals here, I agree.

I agree that 100 degree temps are going to put an end to any tulips. My secret is to grow tulips that bloom in early to mid Mar, way before the hot weather hits. Of course there are small species tulips like T. bakerii 'Lilac Wonder', T. orphanidea flava , etc that bloom early and are reliably perennial but these are typically only 6 in or so--not showy enough for most gardens.

But I have found some others that are more like our idea of tulips--taller, larger flowers, good for cutting, etc ---that bloom in early to mid March and return for several years, some even multiply. So I don't consider these annuals--more like short lived perennials.
Here are some that I have had success with:

1) T. 'Madame Lefeber' aka 'Red Emperor' classed as Fosteriana---very large brilliant red flowers, on about 14-16 in stems. She has bloomed for me for 4 years now.
2) T. 'Negrita'--usually classed as a Triumph--grapey, purple flowers, 16-18 in tall, came back for me for 3-4 years and then began to peter out
3) T. 'Francoise'--a Triumph also---creamy white with yellow flames that fade to white--24 in tall and elegant. This one came back for me for 5-6 years until the gophers discovered the bed. I still have one small clump in a different spot that continues to bloom every year. Scheepers say it is a tetraploid which may account for it's persistence and tolerance of our climate

My success with 'Red Emperor' made me willing to try some of the other Fosteriana/Emperor class--that's why I chose 'Purissima' aka 'White Emperor' which has the reputation of being very persistent, as well as being a lovely elegant white ; and another Fosteriana, 'Albert Hejin' which is a pink sport of 'Christmas Marvel'. It will take several years before I know how well they do. They are planted in a bed that has a wire mesh barrier to keep out most of the critters . I also heavily mulched them to give them the longest cool rooting period. My tulips are kept bone dry all summer and fall . I don't overplant with anything else so I don't have to water them.

Chris

Awesome photo Chris. The colors are so pretty. Have you tried taking a photo in indirect light? Maybe the colors would show more clearly? The sun seems to bleach out those lovely lavender colors. Thanks for sharing it. I can't wait to see what is going to bloom at your house next! : )
I've got one tulip that has survived for several years in the ground. Silly thing. It is planted close to the house, and is in deep shade all summer at mid day and all the afternoon, it gets a little sun in the morning before the heat gets bad. Unfortunately, it isn't happy where it is planted. The bloom always falls over : ( It's a survivor though, and I got to admire that. I'm wondering if I should dig it up (after it's done blooming), and store it in the old cellar for the summer?
Thanks too Chris for sharing the kinds of tulips that seem to like our climate. I'm going to look for some bulbs to plant next fall, and you keep giving me great ideas! : ))
WIB,
SW

Better photo of Crocus laevigatus 'Fontenayi'

Finally got a better photo of the feathering on the outside petals. Very tiny, but so showy!!

Chris

Wow---that's ART!!

WOW! I'm very impressed! I have to get some of them. I get the best ideas from you all!
You know Chris, that photo is good enough to enter into the photo contest next year, and you should consider it. : ))
Looks like the indirect lighting helped bring out those beautiful shades of Lavender and purple. I saw some of my Paperwhites poking their stems out of the ground. Right after my husband's employees stomped on them while doing some work around the house. I keep pointing out my plants and they keep finding new ones to stomp on. I'm beginning to wonder if any are going to survive the home improvements!
Keep up the good work, Chris! It really brightened my day to see your photo! : )
WIB!
SW

Gorgeous !!!!!


* I hope the rain has been gentle !

My crocus bulbs have sprouted!!
Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch' which is supposed to bloom in late winter have sprouted. I've never grown these before so I am very interested to see when they bloom. I planted them at the end of Oct. Also have sprouts of Crocus oliveri balanese 'Zwanenberg' which is another new one for me. More photos when they bloom.

Chris

Can't wait for the blooms! : )
WIB,
SW

My daffs are sprouting, as I discovered when I went to divide perennials----I'm anxious to see how they do, since I planted about 200 in my new beds!

Oh that is going to look amazing !

Can't wait to see them! : )
WIB,
SW

I got a surprise today! So are these guys really Jonquils or Paperwhites?
WIB!
SW

Ooops! Wrong photo!
WIB,
SW

Those aren't anything like MY paperwhites---those look like jonquils to me!

I have always thought they were Jonquils, but MIL says they are Paperwhites. I'll try to get a better photo. The wind was blowing. You know how that is!
WIB!
SW

Narcissus x italicus

My first bloom of this narcissus, after 3 years. Another of the tazetta types, fragrant and multiflowered, with more pointed and twisted petals. It is supposed to be common in cemeteries and old house gardens in the South and along the Gulf Coast, but somehow not commonly available from the big narcissus sources. I think it should be since for me it extends the season by blooming much later than the more common paperwhites. It comes between N. Galilee and before N. Trevithian, N. Avalanche. and N Erlicheer, et al.

Does anyone else grow this? When does it bloom for you?

Chris

Iris unguicularis aka Iris stylosa, Algerian Iris or Winter Iris

Not really a bulb, probably a rhizome, still I decided that it belongs here since it is such a lovely thing that blooms all winter--starts in early Nov and blooms continuously into March for me. Native to Greece and Northern Africa. Nice to have some blue among all the white and yellow bulbs. It grows big clumps--mine are 3 ft wide with the flowers down low between the narrow leaves. These are reportedly fragrant, but the fragrance is slight to my nose--maybe there are cultivars that are selected for fragrance.

They need dry summers with some heat. Many of the leaves dry and go brown, and can be trimmed, but a few stay green all summer. It's a great choice for water wise gardening in Mediterranean climates.

Chris

First pics of Crocus ancyrensis 'Golden Bunch'

This isn't a great photo, but I just couldn't wait. The size is about 3 in high with 1 in blooms so they are smaller than some of the C vernus cultivars. These were planted in late Oct. If I can get a photo with more of them in bloom, I will post it later.

Chris

All right Chris, I'm jealous. My jonquils are blooming, but I only have shoots up on the other bulbs. I really love seeing how nice yours bulbs are flowering for you! : ) Keep them photos coming, they put a smile on my face! : )
WIB,
SW

/beautiful Chris, My daffs are just beginnng to come up but my magnolia is blooming already. IT's a weird spring.

I love those purple crocus'. I haven't had any luck with crocus. But I've never tried them in the ground only in pots. My autumn crocus are send up leaves but don't ever bloom I gotten two batches so far. I love bulbs and I want to book mark this thread to check on all those bulbs you listed. Beautiful! I have luck with muscari (grape hyacinth), tulips, daffodils, and narcissus. I just planted some tulips that are supposed to naturalize in our zone. We'll see. My muscari or grape hyacinth is just starting to bloom for me they are in pots and this wierd hot weather is kicking everything into bloom very early. I wonder what's going to happen when it gets cold again?